Dec 19 2008
It’s been a while since I last blogged here. I have been elbow deep in baking and candy making. I have almost everything on my to-do-list from last post completed. I decided not to do the caramel filled chocolates and I may not get to do the candied citrus peels in time for Yule dinner. But my graham crackers turned out amazing! So much better than when I made them in class! That time I don’t think I rolled the dough then enough so the graham crackers didn’t have that particular “crunch” you normally associate with them. This time they did. I also made Southern Pecan Pralines last night. I was a bit nervous since when my team made them in class I didn’t have anything to do with it. I was making the Swedish Profiteroles (they are little puffs of pastry topped with a shortdough cookie before baked, filled with a Bavarian cream and dusted with powdered sugar). But my husband pronounced them yummy so I was a happy camper. And I know a few of my friends will be thrilled when they see them in your Yule baskets. Yay!
In my last blog it was requested for me to share what I am preparing for Yule this year. This year the menu is as follows:
Veggie bars for an appetizer
Beef tri tip slow cooked on the bbq
Spiral cut ham
Garlic bow tie pasta with bell peppers
Sautéed broccoli and mushrooms
Salad with olives, cranberries and feta
Homemade dinner rolls
Dessert will be poached apples served on top of homemade vanilla ice cream and served with a warm cranberry compote.
This will be the second year I have not done a period (medieval) feast. Last year the menu was:
Cucumber and feta dip with fresh pita for an appetizer
Chicken in a bourbon sauce/Venison deep dish pies
Garlic roasted potatoes/Fresh green beans with bacon and onions
Salad
Homemade biscuits
For dessert was a white cake with a white chocolate buttercream frosting with dark chocolate ganache and fresh berries. Oh and some chocolate caramels.
I do have passion for period cooking due to my involvement in the SCA. I used to do period feasts for Yule but I got a little burnt out on that. But some of my favorite dishes I have made are
Spiced cabbage with apples
Brie Tarts
Makrouns (medieval macaroni and cheese)
Sambocade (cheesecake with elderflowers)
In many ways I miss period cooking but we don’t go to events nearly as much anymore and there is only so much you can do on a camp stove. But I have done period feasts at events with a couple of camp stoves. Sometimes I impress even myself. LOL
I will probably post again after Yule but with pictures hopefully!
